U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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State unemployment and employment, January 2014

March 19, 2014

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in January. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from December, one state had an increase, and six states had no change.

Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate among the states in January, 9.2 percent. North Dakota again had the lowest jobless rate, 2.6 percent. In total, 18 states had jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 6.6 percent, 6 states had measurably higher rates, and 26 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 4 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in Nevada (+3.4 percent), followed by North Dakota (+3.3 percent) and Texas (+2.9 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Kentucky and New Mexico (-0.3 percent each), followed by West Virginia (-0.2 percent).